The present invention relates to an intercharacter space processing apparatus for use in printers, and more particularly to such an intercharacter space processing apparatus for converting an intercharacter space (an extra space left blank) between characters to be printed by the printer into a space code (SPC) of print control codes for processing when such an intercharacter space exceeds a predetermined value.
It frequently occurs that the entire length of a line of characters and symbols to be printed by a printer is short of a predetermined line length. If a line to be printed is shorter than such a predetermined line length by the half width of a character, then the spaces between the characters in the line are slightly adjusted to give the line the desired line length, so that the line can be printed with a printlike appearance, or stated otherwise, the right margin can be justified.
For storing data on small intercharacter spaces, it has been conventional practice to store the value of a multiple of a minimum feed length to be inserted between characters in one line as a dot space or a dot pattern, and to read out the stored value for generating a space. As long as the number of dot spaces to be inserted between characters is small, no large storage capacity is required even when they are stored in the form of dot patterns. However, when it is necessary to store dot spaces corresponding to a few characters, a large storage capacity is needed for storing the dot spaces, and a storage area must be provided for each of the characters. It would be possible to provide a storage area of a variable length as desired when the dot spaces are generated. This would result in a complex control mode since a control signal indicative of a special variable length would have to be received and whether the storage area is of a variable length would have to be determined.